Banana Bread

This recipe is the perfect banana BREAD; not too cake-like and not too dry.  Importantly, I've tweaked it enough so that it is able to hold up any additions that you may like in your banana bread without them all sinking to the bottom of the tin - is there anything worse?!  So feel free to chuck in some sultanas, coconut flakes, choc chunks, berries or whatever you fancy!

INGREDIENTS

210g plain flour

100g wholemeal plain flour

4 teaspoons baking power

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon

70g dark brown sugar

70g golden caster sugar

50g melted butter

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 cup skim milk

220g mashed banana (generally that equates to two peeled medium bananas)

[optional]

2 tablespoons demerara/raw/crystallised sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa nibs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

METHOD

1.  Oven to 175c.  Grease and line a 21 x 11 x 6.5 cm loaf tin with greaseproof baking paper.

2.  Sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

3.  Into the same bowl sift in the sugars, making sure all the lumps in the brown sugar are broken up.  Whisk all these dry ingredients together.

4. In a separate bowl whisk together the cooled melted butter, eggs, maple syrup and milk.

5.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and gradually stir in the egg mixture with a wooden spoon.

6.  Add mashed banana and stir gently until just combined.

** [7.  At this stage add any fruit, nuts etc - see tips below.] **

8.  Pour into lined tin.

9.  Top with demerara sugar, brown sugar and cocoa nibs - optional.

10.  If necessary trim back any excess baking paper leaving some still hanging over.

11.  Bake for 45-50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

12.  Allow to cool in tin for 20 mins and then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Once cool remove paper.

** TIPS**

Use SUPER ripe bananas.  Is their skin brown!?  AWESOME!

Mash up the bananas REALLY well.  Unlike a banana cake, you don't want lumps of banana in your banana bread.

You can omit the cinnamon and cardamon if you wish and replace with a teaspoon of vanilla or rum.

Make sure you leave enough baking paper overhanging the tin so you can lift the bread out at the end without having to invert it.

If you are adding fruit here are several tried and tested way to make sure it doesn't sink:

  • If using frozen fruit DO NOT defrost it.
  • Roll both fresh and frozen fruit lightly in paper towel to remove any extra water.
  • IMPORTANTLY:  Remove two tablespoons of flour from the recipe and sprinkle it all over your fresh or frozen fruit, making sure it is well coated before you add it to the batter.
  • If you wish to be extra cautious you can not mix your fruit into the batter and instead add a 1/4 of the mix to the tin, a sprinkle of fruit, another quarter of mix, another sprinkle of fruit etc until you have filled the tin up, always finishing with a layer of batter.